Title: Returning to Eden
Author: John Mazurk
Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc
ASIN: B079V22RLX
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 198
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington

Hollywood Book Reviews

In Returning to Eden, John Mazurk makes the reader intensely think about mortality, present-day life, the future, science, religion, social norms, and how they shape our living. The author uses a modest tone when talking about contentious topics such as religion, politics and even death. The reader time travels to the future through the chapters.

John Mazurk starts his book by telling the story of Dr. Lilian Eve. The introduction of Dr. Eve alone draws you to the story. The good doctor is celebrating her 107th birthday. This is unusual in life as we know it. What follows is what had me surprised. Due to advancements in retarding the aging process, Dr. Eve still has, at least, another fifty years to live. Dr. Eve was raised by Nepalese parents after her parents died in a landslide.

Dr. Eve went to Oxford at 16, graduated and met her love Dr. Tarik among many other things. The two worked their way up and got positions in the U.N. Dr. Tarik, unfortunately, died when the UN building was attacked on March 2075. Through Dr. Eve’s life, we see how mortality is complex. There is so much Dr. Eve achieved in the years she lived. It makes one wonder if things could have been different had humans lived for longer or even forever. The author is extremely engaging in his book. Through the characters, he poses questions that make the readers think deeply about the future and what we can expect.

On what happens after death, the author explains how various religions view life after death. Take Christianity for example. Christians believe that after death, one will either go to hell or a paradise. The sins one committed while on earth will determine their final resting place. But what does hell or paradise look like? Is the future state of humanity the consequence of evolution? Is there enough food to feed the world’s population? Will humans rely on fossil fuel forever? The reader is given clear explanations that answer these types of questions.

Given that the story takes place 100 years in the future, the progress in various sectors is huge. Artificial intelligence and science have enabled humans to solve their problems easily. Life in the future is however not smooth all the way through. Humans are still hostile to each other. Certain terrorist groups attack innocent citizens where they kill and destroy property. The differences humans have are similar to what is happening in the real world. The story is interesting nonetheless, giving one a different perspective about life and humanity in general.

Returning to Eden is an incredible book that is both amusing and enlightening. You will be engrossed from the beginning to the end. I like how the author developed Dr. Lilian Eve’s character. It is impossible to not love the woman who accomplished so much. Her sophistication, bravery, wit, confidence and a great sense of style were admirable. She was a hero to me. Get ready to learn about philosophy, economy, education, technology, life, and many other disciplines that make life worth living.

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